Red-hot Robbie Keane is being tipped to win the war of the strikers as Ireland seek to silence Zlatan for the second game running.

Giovanni Trapattoni got his tactics spot on in Stockholm six months ago as Ibrahimovic was rendered a bystander having failed to impose himself on the scoreless draw with Ireland.

And although he warmed up for Friday night’s World Cup clash in Dublin with a hat-trick against Norway and another goal for PSG at the weekend, Ireland believe they can keep him under wraps again.

Striker Jonathan Walters said last night: “He is one of the best in the world and he demolished England in that friendly.

“It was tough against him but it is just 11 players against 11 players.”

And the Stoke City attacker added: “A team is stronger than any one individual. We kept him quiet and hopefully he will have a quiet night on Friday as well.”

One thing Ibrahimovic doesn’t lack is confidence – he rates himself as one of the best players in world football and won’t have liked Marco Tardelli’s little dig last night.

Stopping short of putting the Swedish ace on as high a pedestal as he does himself, the 1982 World Cup winner said: “He is in the top 10 players in the world.”

But Tardelli added: “He can do everything. Their best player will be on the pitch and I am very scared of him because he is a very good player and I would prefer if he did not play.

“Ibrahimovic is a player who, if he decides to play, he plays very well and scores goals.

“Sometimes it can happen that he does not play very well but I would prefer to have him in my team, very much.”

Ireland do not boast a player of Ibrahimovic’s class but Tardelli insists veteran striker Keane can have just as big a bearing on the game – not least because of his great form of late.

Keane has scored seven goals in his last four games for LA Galaxy and has also weighed in with 10 assists in 16 matches for the Californian club.

Prior to the recent Wales friendly, Trapattoni suggested his skipper had a fight on his hands to start against Sweden but, after watching his shot-shy strikers in Cardiff, he quickly reversed that decision.

Tardelli said last night: “Robbie Keane is our good player and it is normal Sweden are afraid of him.

“I hope Robbie Keane can decide this match. He is fit, he is happy and physically he has become stronger. Maybe the sun in America is very important!

“But you can see from his face he is happy when he comes here and that is good for us.

“It is impossible to predict what will happen on Friday.

“But Robbie Keane is important for the young players and vital for the team because when he is on the pitch we are more confident.”